“I am very excited to be part of the Ontario Liberal team.”

Sudbury NDP MP Glenn Thibeault has defected to Kathleen Wynne’s Ontario Liberals. He will run for the Liberals in the upcoming Sudbury byelection.

In a statement, Thibeault said he’s “proud” of the defection. He makes no mention of his former party.

This is a huge loss for the federal NDP.

Thibeault, first elected in 2008, becomes the sixth MP to jump the NDP ship since the party’s phenomenal performance during the 2011 federal election. Those who left before him are: Sana Hassainia, Bruce Hyer, and Jean-Francois Larose, Lise St-Denis, and Claude Patry.

Most importantly, the defection comes a mere 10 months before the landmark 2015 federal election. Thibeault was the first New Democrat to win the Sudbury federal riding since 1967. Can Tom Mulcair and his team hold on to the seat?

I am proud to announce that I will be running as the Ontario Liberal party candidate in the upcoming by-election in my community of Sudbury.

The need for this by-election was sudden and unexpected, and I have come to the decision to move to provincial politics after much reflection and discussion with those people close to me. Anyone who knows me, understands that I put representing this community first and foremost. It is something I have done with pride over the past six years. It is my belief that I can continue to do so from a different vantage point working as part of the Ontario Liberal Government.

I have spoken to Premier Kathleen Wynne about her plan to create greater opportunity and security for all Ontarians – and her plan is exactly what Sudbury needs. Investing in the talents of our people and building modern infrastructure will ensure good jobs for our community for decades. Supporting workers – whether it’s helping find a first job, or helping save for a secure retirement – is the kind of practical and valuable policy I have always supported and am proud to be part of.

I have taken the time to read the mandate letters the Premier assigned to Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentary Assistants and it has become clear to me that I want to play a part in the important work her government is doing to build for the future.

The issues the Premier is championing – retirement security, investment in the Ring of Fire, better health care – are the same issues I care deeply about and areas where the people of Sudbury rightly expect to see real progress.

I need to be clear, this is not a decision I made easily. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my community for the past six years at the federal level, but my time at the federal level has come to an end. I am excited by the opportunity to continue that representation in a new, exciting way. I believe I can make an even greater difference for the constituents of Sudbury as a member of this Ontario Liberal government.

My career has been spent fighting for supports for persons with developmental disabilities, for services for families struggling with autism and for better consumer protection for our citizens, I will continue to advocate for these issues and I know I will be a more effective champion working at the provincial level.

Sudbury is my home, it is where my wife and I are raising our family, and I believe an Ontario Liberal government is the best choice to lead Sudbury and the rest of our province forward to greater security and opportunity.

I am very excited to be part of the Ontario Liberal team and to work hard in earning the votes of Sudburians so I can once again represent their voice in government.